1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic equipment using a rectangular battery, such as a portable telephone, a digital camera, a video camera, a mobile printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in electronic equipment, such as a portable telephone, a still camera, a digital camera, and a video camera, there is used a rectangular type of secondary battery, which is repeatedly available by charging. As a way of storing the rectangular type of secondary battery in a storage section of the electronic equipment, there are known, for example, a side-insertion type of one in which a rectangular battery having electrodes is inserted from a side thereof into an aperture of a storage section and is locked with a cover, and a front storage type of one in which a rectangular battery is stored from the front thereof into a frame of a storage section and covers the frame with a cover. Further, in view of the fact that storage of the rectangular battery into equipment enlarges a cover member of the equipment, there is proposed a way in which terminals of the battery are disposed at the outside of the battery. Furthermore, there is proposed a way in which a battery storage case is separated and the battery storage case is coupled with a cover member of equipment when a rectangular battery is used.
However, an arrangement that the battery storage case is coupled with the cover member of the equipment may enlarge the equipment when the rectangular battery is used. This is inconvenient for carrying about. Such an arrangement that the terminals of the battery are disposed at the outside of the battery brings about the exposure of the terminals of the battery at the time of non-use of the rectangular battery. This may spoil of the beauty of the equipment. In view of the foregoing, there is proposed a way that terminals of a battery is movably disposed between the inside and the outside of a cover member of an equipment, so that when a rectangular battery is used, the terminals of a battery is moved outside the cover member so as to be connected with the rectangular battery, and when a rectangular battery is not used, the terminals of the battery is moved inside the cover member so as to be stored in the cover member (cf. Paragraph 0004 to Paragraph 0010, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette Hei. 11-3691). This makes it possible to use a different capacity of rectangular battery, and to improve the beauty of the equipment and also to contribute to a miniaturizing of the cover member.
However, in electronic equipment which is used through carrying about, such as a camera, an arrangement that a battery is disposed at the exterior enlarges the equipment in its entirety. This brings about problems that easiness of holding and easiness of carrying about are spoiled.
On the other hand, with respect to the rectangular type of battery, two types of rectangular battery, which are same in size but different in thickness, come onto the market. A front storage type of storage section is applicable to any one of those two types of rectangular battery.
However, it would be inconvenient that there are prepared two covers associated with rectangular batteries to be stored and both the covers are carried.
Thus, in order to offer one sort of cover, there are considered a way that dummy parts are prepared in accordance with thickness of the rectangular batteries and the dummy part is interposed between the rectangular battery and the cover, and a way that a lock mechanism, which is manually operable, is prepared, and the lock mechanism is changed over in accordance with thickness of the rectangular batteries. However, in any case, it is necessary for a user to operate each time it happens. Further there is a way that a spring member is mounted inside a cover to absorb a difference between thickness of the rectangular batteries. However, only a provision of the spring member involves a problem that the impact at the time of carrying about may bring about a contact failure of terminals of the battery.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide electronic equipment capable of coping with a storage of two types of rectangular batteries mutually different in thickness with one sort of cover and without user""s operation, and involving no problem of a contact failure of terminals of the rectangular battery by the impact at the time of carrying about.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides an electronic equipment comprising: a battery storage section that may store two types of rectangular battery which are mutually different in thickness; and a cover that covers the battery storage section, in which the electronic equipment is operative upon receipt of an electric power from the rectangular battery stored in the battery storage section,
wherein the battery storage section has a holding member movable between a holding position in which a thin rectangular battery is held and a save position in which it is permitted that a thick rectangular battery is stored in the battery storage section, and
wherein the cover has a stopper section that stops the holding member at both times when the holding member is at the holding position and when the holding member is at the save position.
According to the electronic equipment according to the present invention as mentioned above, when the thin rectangular battery is stored in the battery storage section, the holding member of the battery storage section and the stopper section holds the rectangular battery. And when the thick rectangular battery is stored in the battery storage section, the holding member of the battery storage section moves to the save position and the cover holds the rectangular battery. Thus, it is possible to cope with two types of rectangular battery by one type of cover, and there is no problem of a contact failure of terminals of the rectangular battery by the impact at the time of carrying about.
In the electronic equipment according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is acceptable that the holding member is pivotally supported between the holding position and the save position, and has an engagement claw and a projection, the engagement claw being engaged with a side edge of the thin rectangular battery stored in the battery storage section when the holding member is at the holding position, and the projection being stopped at the stopper section on a non-rotatable basis at both times when the holding member is at the holding position and when the holding member is at the save position.
According to the electronic equipment according to the present invention as mentioned above, the holding member is pivotally supported between the holding position and the save position, and has the engagement claw and the projection. When the thin rectangular battery stored in the battery storage section, the projection stops at the stopper section of the cover to prohibit the rotation in right and left in a state that the engagement claw stops the rectangular battery. And when the thick rectangular battery stored in the battery storage section, the projection stops at the stopper section of the cover to prohibit the rotation in right and left in a state that the engagement claw does not stop the rectangular battery. And then the cover holds the rectangular battery. Thus, it is possible to cope with two types of rectangular battery by one type of cover, and there is no problem of a contact failure of terminals of the rectangular battery by the impact at the time of carrying about.
In the electronic equipment according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that an inside of the cover is provided with an elastic member to urge the rectangular battery stored in the battery storage section.
This feature makes it possible to more securely hold the rectangular battery stored in the battery storage section.